Concerning the Mindsets of Characters
Due to lots of crazy things happening to all three of my current characters on String-Theory, I'm writing this post to get my bearings. I've put them under cuts so as not to spam friends pages, but I welcome comments and discussion.
Matt has recently learned of a premonition that includes his graphic and painful death, caused by the blowback of an encounter between Sylar and Peter Petrelli. He has also learned that his son is SLC-positive and is registered, though he has not manifested an ability yet. Both are concerns that weigh heavily on him. Despite the personal nature
With the news that Vice President Mitchell is ultimately behind Messiah's activities, Matt isn't feeling that he can trust other members of the Petrelli administration. On the other hand, distrusting Peter Petrelli and resenting the fact that he's the president's protected younger brother is nothing new - Matt as simply found new reasons to dislike the overpowered and easily swayed terrorist.
The walls are closing in. Matt is hesitant to push his ability to it's limits, but he is also keenly aware of the sacrifices he has made that have put him down a path similar to the one his father walked. He is bucking against this, as is evident in his subtle passing of information to Cardinal concerning Messiah. This is an act that Matt is grateful he had the chance to commit, given that he has been asked to back off his own investigations of the group. In fact, DHS has pulled to simply a monitoring position when it comes to New York City's most active terrorist group.
Matt is unsure as to whether or not he can really trust Simon Broome, or anyone in the Institute - how can they be any better than the Company, especially if they recruited agents from Primatech's ranks? He is wary, but still - the information that Broome gave Matt is vital to more than his own survival, he's sure. He is anxious to learn more from Eve's dreams, and is considering moving on Peter, despite politics. Of course, with all activities linked with precognition, Matt is worried that he will walk straight into his death while trying to avoid it. Of course, there is always Cardinal to do the dirtier work for him.
Redbird Security Solutions could use a government contract, couldn't they? Sure they could.
Then there's the matter of Matt Jr.
Matt can count the number of times he's seen his son without taking off his shoes, and this fact pains him. Worse, though, is the fact that the only flesh and blood he has left is subject to the whims of the government. Things are better in California, to some degree, but that doesn't mean that Mitchell's plans won't endanger the little boy potentially even before his ability manifests. His duty and drive to protect little Matty are like twin shadows that loom over every thought and desicion that Matt makes. He knows he can do something more, but he isn't exactly sure how to accomplish it under the noses of his hawk-eyed superiors.
With all of this to think about, it's a sad truth that Matt doesn't have much time or energy when it comes to his ex-fiance. He knows he must have hurt Kaydence Lee, but he hasn't lost much sleep over that specific point. Weeks after their fallout, he's taken some comfort in the fact that the relationship was never solid to begin with. Kaydence would never forget Spencer, and Matt would never ask her to. Conversely, Matt would never cease his devotion to his work. The implications of these truths are hard to swallow, but it's as easy as sugar when compared to other things.
Matt is simply married to his job.
Smedley used to be the sort of man who only worried about his own skin, but that's been changing over the course of the last month. It started when he realized that a partner in a one-night stand had been kidnapped by Humanis First roughly a year prior to their liaison. Smedley had been with plenty of Evo-women before, but his own past deeds and what Peyton had been through was a jarring juxtaposition. He's only ever told one other person about why he left Nebraska.
At first, Smedley's notion was that in being kind to Peyton, he could adjust his karma (though he knows little about karma and doesn't think of his actions within that exact lens). In his mind there was a possibility of redemption in her, given their strange commonalities. But now, after spending so much time with the clairvoyant, being privvy to some of her secrets, and having a strange sense that (for once) he's the one being used, his own selfish intentions are slowly melting into something else. Smedley cares about Peyton, so much that her view of her limited future has challenged him to alter his philosophy of living from job to job.
On the work front, nothing much has changed for Smedley. He still runs the same runs he did before, even if he has to do so with a little more creativity to get them on and off Staten Island. He's been doing minimal amounts of word-of-mouth research regarding what markets may exist or crop up on Roosevelt Island, but he hasn't been there to test the rumors.
Despite how right with God Amato may feel, he knows that the US Government would like to give him a cocktail of drugs in a syringe or else strap him to Old Sparky. He's scared of being caught, and so sticks to the area around the Garden and the Greenbelt.
But that doesn't mean he's adopted a hermit or monastic lifestyle again. Working at the safehouse brings Amato a great deal of joy and solace, as do the other small projects he finds for himself.
(Amato is odd, and it is difficult for me to get squarely planted in his head right now. He does the things he does because...he wants and feels the need to do them. It's pretty simple.)
Matt has recently learned of a premonition that includes his graphic and painful death, caused by the blowback of an encounter between Sylar and Peter Petrelli. He has also learned that his son is SLC-positive and is registered, though he has not manifested an ability yet. Both are concerns that weigh heavily on him. Despite the personal nature
With the news that Vice President Mitchell is ultimately behind Messiah's activities, Matt isn't feeling that he can trust other members of the Petrelli administration. On the other hand, distrusting Peter Petrelli and resenting the fact that he's the president's protected younger brother is nothing new - Matt as simply found new reasons to dislike the overpowered and easily swayed terrorist.
The walls are closing in. Matt is hesitant to push his ability to it's limits, but he is also keenly aware of the sacrifices he has made that have put him down a path similar to the one his father walked. He is bucking against this, as is evident in his subtle passing of information to Cardinal concerning Messiah. This is an act that Matt is grateful he had the chance to commit, given that he has been asked to back off his own investigations of the group. In fact, DHS has pulled to simply a monitoring position when it comes to New York City's most active terrorist group.
Matt is unsure as to whether or not he can really trust Simon Broome, or anyone in the Institute - how can they be any better than the Company, especially if they recruited agents from Primatech's ranks? He is wary, but still - the information that Broome gave Matt is vital to more than his own survival, he's sure. He is anxious to learn more from Eve's dreams, and is considering moving on Peter, despite politics. Of course, with all activities linked with precognition, Matt is worried that he will walk straight into his death while trying to avoid it. Of course, there is always Cardinal to do the dirtier work for him.
Redbird Security Solutions could use a government contract, couldn't they? Sure they could.
Then there's the matter of Matt Jr.
Matt can count the number of times he's seen his son without taking off his shoes, and this fact pains him. Worse, though, is the fact that the only flesh and blood he has left is subject to the whims of the government. Things are better in California, to some degree, but that doesn't mean that Mitchell's plans won't endanger the little boy potentially even before his ability manifests. His duty and drive to protect little Matty are like twin shadows that loom over every thought and desicion that Matt makes. He knows he can do something more, but he isn't exactly sure how to accomplish it under the noses of his hawk-eyed superiors.
With all of this to think about, it's a sad truth that Matt doesn't have much time or energy when it comes to his ex-fiance. He knows he must have hurt Kaydence Lee, but he hasn't lost much sleep over that specific point. Weeks after their fallout, he's taken some comfort in the fact that the relationship was never solid to begin with. Kaydence would never forget Spencer, and Matt would never ask her to. Conversely, Matt would never cease his devotion to his work. The implications of these truths are hard to swallow, but it's as easy as sugar when compared to other things.
Matt is simply married to his job.
Smedley used to be the sort of man who only worried about his own skin, but that's been changing over the course of the last month. It started when he realized that a partner in a one-night stand had been kidnapped by Humanis First roughly a year prior to their liaison. Smedley had been with plenty of Evo-women before, but his own past deeds and what Peyton had been through was a jarring juxtaposition. He's only ever told one other person about why he left Nebraska.
At first, Smedley's notion was that in being kind to Peyton, he could adjust his karma (though he knows little about karma and doesn't think of his actions within that exact lens). In his mind there was a possibility of redemption in her, given their strange commonalities. But now, after spending so much time with the clairvoyant, being privvy to some of her secrets, and having a strange sense that (for once) he's the one being used, his own selfish intentions are slowly melting into something else. Smedley cares about Peyton, so much that her view of her limited future has challenged him to alter his philosophy of living from job to job.
On the work front, nothing much has changed for Smedley. He still runs the same runs he did before, even if he has to do so with a little more creativity to get them on and off Staten Island. He's been doing minimal amounts of word-of-mouth research regarding what markets may exist or crop up on Roosevelt Island, but he hasn't been there to test the rumors.
Despite how right with God Amato may feel, he knows that the US Government would like to give him a cocktail of drugs in a syringe or else strap him to Old Sparky. He's scared of being caught, and so sticks to the area around the Garden and the Greenbelt.
But that doesn't mean he's adopted a hermit or monastic lifestyle again. Working at the safehouse brings Amato a great deal of joy and solace, as do the other small projects he finds for himself.
(Amato is odd, and it is difficult for me to get squarely planted in his head right now. He does the things he does because...he wants and feels the need to do them. It's pretty simple.)